[F1SCHEDULE 2E+W+SABSENT VOTING

Textual Amendments

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

PART 2E+W+SAPPLICATIONS

Requirement to provide fresh signatures at five yearly intervalsE+W+S

31.—(1) The registration officer must every year by 31st January send every person who remains an absent voter at European Parliamentary elections and whose signature held on the personal identifiers record is more than five years old a notice in writing—

(a)requiring him to provide a fresh signature; and

(b)informing him of the date (6 weeks from the date of sending the notice) on which he would cease to be entitled to vote by post or by proxy in the event of a failure or refusal to provide a fresh signature.

(2) The notice must be sent by the registration officer to the current or last known address of the absent voter.

(3) The registration officer must, if the absent voter has not responded to the notice within 3 weeks from the date on which the notice was sent, as soon as practicable send a copy of the notice to him.

(4) Where a notice or copy of a notice is sent by post, the registration officer may use—

(a)a universal postal service provider; or

(b)a commercial delivery firm,

and postage must be prepaid.

(5) A notice or copy of a notice sent to an absent voter in accordance with sub-paragraph (1) or (3) must be accompanied by a pre-addressed reply envelope and, in the case of any notice or copy of a notice sent to an address in the United Kingdom or Gibraltar, return postage must be prepaid.

(6) The registration officer must determine, not later than the date specified in the notice sent to the absent voter, whether the absent voter has failed or refused to provide a fresh signature.

(7) Where the registration officer determines that the absent voter has refused or failed to provide a fresh signature, he must from the date specified in the notice sent to the absent voter in accordance with sub-paragraph (1)(b) remove that person’s entry from the records kept pursuant to paragraph 3(4) or 7(6) and from the postal voters list, list of proxies or proxy postal voters list (as the case may be) kept under paragraph 5(2), 5(3) or 7(8).

(8) Where a registration officer removes an absent voter’s entry in the circumstances to which sub-paragraph (7) refers—

(a)the registration officer must inform the absent voter, where appropriate, of the location of his allotted polling station or the polling station to which he is likely to be allotted (as determined in accordance with the European Parliamentary elections rules);

(b)paragraph 27(3) and paragraph 28 shall apply as if the registration officer were refusing an application under this Schedule; and

(c)in the case of an entry removed from the proxy postal voters list, the registration officer must also notify the elector who appointed the proxy whose entry has been removed.

(9) The registration officer must include in the notice to be sent to an absent voter regarding his removal from the records kept pursuant to paragraph 3(4) or 7(6) and from the postal voters list, list of proxies or proxy postal voters list (as the case may be) kept under paragraph 5(2), 5(3) or 7(8), information—

(a)explaining the effect of such removal; and

(b)reminding the absent voter that he may make a fresh application under Part 2 to vote by post or by proxy (as the case may be).

(10) Where a person to whom sub-paragraph (1) applies has provided a registration officer with the required personal identifiers under paragraph 3, 4 or 7 of Schedule 4 to the Representation of the People Act 2000, the 2001 Regulations, the 2001 (Scotland) Regulations, the Scottish Parliament (Elections etc.) Order 2007 or the National Assembly for Wales (Representation of the People) Order 2007 before the date specified in the notice sent to the absent voter in accordance with sub-paragraph (1)(b), the registration officer may use them and enter them in his records in accordance with paragraphs 3(9), 4(7), 7(13) and 18.]